Epilogue
by Tenor of Fandoms
Summary: Everything is easy to ignore, until the walls around you shatter. Nothing seems to matter anymore. The world is left without it's champion. Gone, along with all the memories. *character death*
1. Preface

**Chapter one of Kiss Me should be up later this week. However, I just had to start this before I upload that, because this idea cannot wait anymore. Before you read this, I want to give credit to Newgrounds artist "mree" for inspiring me to write this. Please, go see this video at: www. newgrounds .com/portal/view/470962 Sonic Epilogue is absolutely heart-wrenching, and I cannot stop watching it. I'm not the first, nor do I think I will be that last, person to write something based off of it, but it's just SO GOOD! AHHHHHH! :D Sad, tragic, and beautiful. Also, just found out I made the Regional Choir as the 17th tenor for my region. 12 people from Desert Vista, baby! :D Anyways, this will not be one-shot, but I think you'll all definitely love it! My best work so far, if I do say so myself!**

**"Epilogue" - Preface**

**The Hero, The Brother. The Beast, The Monster. All Gone.**

I did it. I ended his life. These two hands. These were the ones that killed our savior, and destroyed our scourge. I am the one who took away my only family, and my toughest foe. I am the one who destroyed the darkness that covered our land, yet light no longer shines like it once did. The stars twinkle in celebration and in mourning. Even they know he is gone, both our worst nightmare and our dream hero. I am Miles Prower, once called Tails, but I have since shed the name. Tails was a young boy who looked up to him, knowing that nothing could ever take him down. He would always find a way to keep on with the fight, knowing his brother would save the day. Miles was the one who saw it happen. I saw the injection, saw the transformation. And then Tails reappeared for an instant when I saw him again, thinking he would see those eyes that he loved. But I knew something was wrong, and Tails vanished once more. Sally was there, running to him and pounding on his chest. "This isn't you!" she sobbed. "Come back to me! Tell me you love me still!" Miles saw him push her aside, throw her on the ground like she was nothing.

And Tails all but died then and there. Only Miles was left.

The emerald orbs we loved were gone. Ruby where the green once stood, and I knew we had to leave. He was gone. Miles grabbed Sally and ran. We did not know where to, anywhere but our once safe haven. With him as their leader, we knew it was futile. Word spread amongst the planet in whispers that the hero was gone. An empty shell, empty of everything but the pure evil we knew he would never be. We ran to the north, hiding in caves, planning, readying ourselves for the coming battle. Sally would not talk much. She, like Tails, like her love, died with that transformation. Another empty shell, void of the love she once shared with her people.

Finally, it was too much. We could not wait any longer. The final battle had to take place. Now or never. I strapped on my hover board, pausing only for a second by Sally and Bunnie. "Don' go alone!" "We won't lose you too!" "He's still somewhere in there, Tails!"

"Don't call me that!" I shouted, and I knew that what she said was only a last ditch effort to save herself from her thoughts, but it did nothing to ease the truth. He was gone. Plain, and simple. And so I powered up and flew towards the metallic stronghold he and Tails would come and bomb, thinking it was all a big game in their childhood world. He stood there, eyes closed, but indeed expecting Miles. And I did not hold back. I charged him, and once more I saw the ruby red eyes that stood in place of the green Tails found comfort and familiarity in. I fought, and he avoided and countered everything that was thrown at him. Somewhere along the way, his famous fighting skills overpowered me with his sheer speed. The speed we all admired and that had saved so many of us on so many occasions. Now, it was used against me. And somewhere along the way towards the climax, I was thrown from my hover board, grabbed by the neck and choked. In those few moments before passing out, possibly escaping the world forever so Tails could have his world and brother back, I see those eyes and remember how he once saved Tails from the cold rain when his parents were gone, when those near him merely called him a freak for his namesakes. He was the first to protect Tails, and now Miles would return the favor to protect the world from this monster that now stood be me. The knife I had hidden away was unsheathed, unnoticed, and plunged into his chest.

He released me and gasped, walking back slowly and looking at me. The red slowly faded from his eyes as he collapsed, the hand he covered his heart with now coated in blood, the knife still in him. And for a moment, a brief moment, Tails was alive again, rushing to his brother's side. His hand fell to his side. Tails look at the blood on the glove coated hand. "I'm so sorry, big brother!" Tails wailed, on his knees at the redeemed hero's side. but he looked into those orbs, life slowly leaving them, making a soft "Shh"-ing sound. It seemed to Tails as though suddenly every memory that the hero had ever had of the two of them, and the rest of his friends, were coming back for his final moments. Tails apologized, promising he'd find a way to fix this, to make things like they were. That Tails hadn't meant any of it.

"You protected them... That's all we need... A true hero... not me... I'm a fraud..."

"No you're not!" Tails sobbed. "You _are_ our hero! You're _m__y_ hero, big bro! You're the only family I have left! I'll save you, just hang on!" And life was still fading. Tails for one last moment into those eyes.

"Tell Sally I'm sorry... and I love her... And... I love... you... buddy..." And with that last, fleeting gasp of air, he was gone, along with all remnants of Tails and the life they had together. His only family was gone. And in his place, Miles sat there, all feeling gone. And he was buried, only remembered by his heroics and not his actions. As they laid him in the ground, Tails's spirit possessed me fleetingly, vowing to bring my revenge on the men who took him from this world.

I am Miles Prower, formerly called Tails by our hero and our friends. And I have killed Sonic the Hedgehog to save our world. The one he once fought for. The one he tried to destroy.

The one his brother died for.

**A/N 2: UGH! THIS MADE ME ALL WEEPY! I've been listening to the song from the video for inspiration, and now I can't stop crying while writing! I think I've just had too much of a good, extremely depressing thing. Ugh. Ok. So, please read and review.**

**~Sonic128128 (Kevin)**


	2. Honored

**A/N 1: Sorry, really quick author's note this time. I got meself a Nintendo 3DS, and I want to add some of y'all as friends. (Sorry, I'm uber hyper.)**

**If you wanna add me, send me a private message, and I'll consider adding you. My friend code is on my profile: link fanfiction .net/u/1661577/sonic128128**

******A/N 2: Sorry I haven't been on too much recently. My boyfriend broke up with me a few weeks ago, finals caught up with me, and I just couldn't even begin to think about writing. Anyways, I'm updating now. Sorry it's taken so long. I promise to update more often. Also, I've been noticing a slow decline in the quality of writing on this site. If you haven't seen my note on my page, long story short: feel free to ask me to beta your works. I will GLADLY do everything I can to help you out. More details are on my profile.**

**Chapter 1**

A month had passed. Only a month, and each and every day felt like nightmare. I hated each and every damn second of it. I had no emotion anymore. I was a walking zombie. Now there was nothing in my soul that could bring any happiness to myself or the people around me. Sonic was gone. Why should any of us experience any happiness? First my parents, then Cosmo, and now Sonic. All had left me in one way or another. And what hurt the most was the betrayal I felt.

Only a few weeks had passed. Once word had spread to the rest of New Mobotropolis and Knothole that I was the one who had killed Sonic, authorities came and took me away. As though it wasn't enough that I killed my best friend. To add insult to injury, I wasn't even allowed to go to his funeral. That was the worst part. Not only could I not mourn the loss of the only family I had, now taken from me in the blink of an eye; now, I had to just sit in my jail cell and watch his funeral on the TV. I supposed it was for the best, though. Amy hadn't bothered to talk to me: I heard she was extremely devastated when she heard, and more so when it was revealed I was the killer.

But each blow did nothing but merely cause the emotionless shell that was once where my heart had been to grow ever more dense. No longer did anything matter. Life was always easy to take advantage of when we always thought there would be time. We would raise our families side-by-side, keeping the kids close together so they could have the fun adventures that we would have, never leaving our best friends behind. But in one single moment, it all shattered and slipped away from me.

And now, here I sat, watching the screen before me as each and every one of our friends gave their speeches about how brave he was, how they admired his selflessness and other qualities. None of them really knew the Sonic that I knew. I could honestly say that I was the only being who had ever seen the boy behind the hero, the one who used to read me bedtime stories and would always stay in my room whenever I had nightmares. And, in return, I saw a friend who was sometimes a nervous wreck before dates and who no one else had ever seen cry. They were our friends, true, but it was like any other hero: they knew the mask, and I knew the person (or hedgehog, rather.)

I sat and watched, and after our friends, the president, the general, and various other officials spoke of his brave deeds and how he was "a great asset to our society." As if this really mattered to them. It was a photo op, nothing more. I shook my head; these people cared about Sonic as much as they cared about losing a penny in a sofa cushion. But the only speaker who truly drew my attention was Sally.

Sally had been in shock since the monster that replaced Sonic cast her aside, and truth be told, she hadn't really spoken much about anything. Now, however, it was time to break that silence. "Thank you, Mr. President," she said, her voice cracking slightly. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she wore a black gown to the ceremony, complete with veil that partially hid her face. Her fur was matted with tears, however, and she sniffed during the pause. "I will be giving the last speech before unveiling the monument we have dedicated to Sonic. But first..." She took a deep breath as she looked at the speech she had prepared before her.

"To all of us, he was a hero. To some of us, he was a friend. To those lucky few, he was family. And to me, he was my world. Sonic was one of the most amazing boys I'd ever met, and he grew to be a great man whose life was cut short. I know many of you expect me to vilify Tails, though." I cringed when she said this. Of all people to say something of his death, it had to be the girl he was planning on marrying. "I refuse to, however. Sonic died days before, in my eyes, during what should have been a simple, routine mission in one of Snively Kintobor's factories that went horribly wrong. A rumor has been spread that Tails turned on Sonic and used some mind control device. It was Snively himself, and I felt this needed to be cleared up. We later found that, through injection, Snively had destroyed Sonic's sense of what was right with nanites. And so, Sonic was gone, from myself and the world. Tails destroyed the monster that Snively created, and for this reason, I have pardoned Miles 'Tails' Prower of the charge of first-degree murder." This came as a shock, and I sat in silence, watching intently as the guards shuffled and groaned about releasing me.

"Tails was our hero, and Sonic was gone. My fiancé was taken by a monster, and couldn't be saved. I know he tried what he could to save Sonic, and that was all he could do. Sonic gave his life protecting his friends, family, and nation from the tyranny of the warlords we'd fought for years, and I couldn't have asked for a better person to have wanted to ask me to spend the rest of his life with. But I know that this is more proof of what needs to come: proof that we, as a nation, still have work to do. Proof that we need to continue the fight against the warlords of this world until we can once again say that we are truly free again. And only then will we finally be able to say that Sonic did not die in vain.

"But not just Sonic," she pressed on, "but everyone else who died in the wars that we've faced over these cruel and harsh times, such as Tommy Turtle, who, like Sonic, died protecting their country. Each and every member of this fight has played his or her role, and some day, we can become that proud nation that my father ruled where we coexisted with nature, and maybe we can repair our relations with the Overlanders. But know that even though we've lost our greatest hero, we will always know that we live because we have something worth living for: a dream of a new, peaceful day." She took a deep breath. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the statue dedicated to Sonic the Hedgehog. This monument will stand here in the park, while his body will be buried in the cemetery by Castle Acorn." And with a swift nod, Knuckles (who, I noticed, had been openly crying the entire ceremony, no matter how tough he was known to be) pulled the cover from the monument.

The statue was of Sonic mainly, but above his head, you could distinctly make out the figure of what looked like myself, made to look like I was flying behind him as he ran slowly enough for me to keep up, laughter obvious on both of our faces. The pedestal on which it stood had an inscription: "SONIC THE HEDGEHOG - FRIEND, BROTHER, SON, & HERO." I felt tears fill my eyes, but closed them, refusing any to flow as the television went back to Sally. I couldn't hear her, but when I opened my eyes again, I saw her lips move ever so slightly: Sonic, I miss you, sweetheart. And with that, I turned off the television.

"You're free to go, Mr. Prower," the guards grumbled. I collected my things, and left for the grave, not saying a word.


	3. Coming War

I suppose you could argue that my life sort of... dimmed after the days I had spent in jail. Eggman was still on the loose, sure. But nothing I did would ever bring Sonic back. It wasn't as though I wanted nothing more than to take the life of that vile thing, and his equally disgusting nephew. It was that I didn't have the means to do so.

Sally had, for whatever reason, released the location of my secret lab. I supposed they'd done that to make sure it was a one time thing. No more killing innocent people of any of that bull. I always laughed bitterly when I thought about it. Sonic wasn't innocent at that point. He was, for all intents and purposes, dead the moment those nano-bots or that... serum had hit his blood stream. I still hadn't had a chance to review the blood sample I'd managed to take, and it seemed like no matter what I'd try, Sal would've never given me a chance to.

Weeks passed. His memorial became my normal haunt, I suppose. I would wake up, stomach a few grapes or something, then lay on my couch until I was sure no one would be around, the head out and slowly walk to Sonic's statue. I would stare at it for awhile, silent. And at some ungodly hour of the early morning, I'd slowly head home only to repeat the routine again.

Everyone had been calling, wondering where I was, if I was okay... After awhile I was so sick of it, I disconnected my phone. Sure, I still had my wrist communicator from our disastrous trip to fight the Metarex, but we never used those anymore. It'd been at least four years since that mess. I suppose I kept it because... well, I dunno. Maybe, like with Sonic's memorial, I was using it to hold onto the past with Cosmo.

Her seed had sprouted into a flower the spring after the whole ordeal had taken place. It wasn't as though it was her. Or even a child of hers really. I never could tell if it was just how I had raised it, but it seemed for all intents and purposes to just be a flower. It was so similar to the ones that had been on her head that I thought maybe it would, somehow, bear her or a child. But I scanned for brain activity or for any sign of, I supposed, a heart beat. There was no activity. And who knew if it would have even been Cosmo if it had been able to bring someone to life? Maybe it was a good thing that she hadn't come back.

She wouldn't ever have to see me like this, in this state

Once the flower wilted, it was just like losing her all over again. Well, it was like all of the other disappointments and tragedies that I had encountered over the years. Not just with Cosmo, but with my parents, the Freedom Fighters, Eggman controlling Mobius for the longest time... Sonic's death at my hands and the ensuing issues with the people who, like myself, worshipped him. Not what he had become, definitely not. The hero that people tried to remember. I know Sally had done her best to explain to everyone what happened, but I couldn't bring myself to really say anything one way or the other about how I felt. I know that killing Sonic, someone who I knew would love him in a way I doubt I could ever understand, had to have some serious issues with her mentally.

And yet, she seem to have accepted Sonic was gone the moment Snivelly had taken him from us and tossed her aside like garbage. Maybe that was how she had been able to forgive me. I hadn't really taken him out in her mind, but merely destroyed another evil copy, like... like Metal Sonic or the Metallix. Of course, I could never really ask her for anything that would actually lead to Eggman and his nephew getting taken into custody, like getting my lab back. Everything in there was probably coated in an inch of dust from a lack of activity, including the blood sample I had taken from Sonic after our first encounter after he'd been infected. He knew everything about us, after all, and had been one of our strongest - and obviously, fastest - fighters. I knew that no matter what, he'd find out where we were. Places like our homes, Knothole... well, anywhere but the arctic and somewhere surrounded by water would be places he could get to us.

Needless to say, I hadn't been able to analyze anything. Not that there would've been much of a reason to now. The sample, labelled with a strip of tape that read "S. 14 - Post-Infection," now rested in a small test tube rack. Had I been able to access my lab without fear that he would've found us, maybe things would have been different. But as it was, nothing had happened, and I had been forced to take my best friend's life.

* * *

It wasn't until I hadn't responded to any calls for a month or so that Vanilla sent Cream over. Quite honestly, that had to be one of the worst days since his death that I had. I had been upstairs surrounded by the filth that I had accumulated over the course of my time back home, and I hadn't really bothered to keep up with it. I heard the door unlock and open around five in the evening as I was zipping up a jacket. I instantly bristled and brought a non-lethal laser pistol I had started to keep in a holster on my hip to my hand. I darted out of my door and and pressed my back to the wall before rounding the corner and gliding silently downstairs. I repeated the action before pulling the gun on the innocent girl, causing her to scream and drop her basket that she'd apparently brought with her.

"Calm down, Cream..." I mumbled, stowing the weapon in the holster on my jeans. "Why are you here...?" I asked.

"I- Mom and I were worried about you..." she said, once she composed herself. "Tails-"

"Miles!" I corrected rudely, narrowing my eyes. When would people learn that I just wanted to let that go?

"_Tails_," she insisted, and I growled, shoving past her, "please, we all are. You haven't called anyone back, and the last time I tried to talk to you, it said your phone had been disconnected. Please, we just want to help."

"Maybe I don't _want_ help!" I yelled, rounding on her. She wouldn't be intimidated by my mood, apparently. What would I have to do to get everyone off of my back?!

"We know you're upset about S... what happened... We all are, but we know he was your best friend and your only family. You have to realize, though, that destroying yourself by starving yourself and living in this... mess..." she gestured to the room at large. "It's not right, and you _know_ that Sonic wouldn't want you to do this to yourself." I howled with rage when she mentioned him and pinned her against the wall, my hands on her shoulders.

"Listen to me," I growled softly, my chest heaving. Cream had gone white with fear. "This is why I don't want you people to talk to me, friends or not. You all think you know what it's like for me. None of you have the damnedest idea what the hell this did to me. I _killed_ my only family member. Imagine if you killed your mom, Cream, for one second."

"I-I could never-" she stammered.

"Exactly. I want all of you to leave me alone. I want nothing more than to get my revenge on Eggman and that pest. Once I'm down with that, I'm leaving and I'm not coming back. Now, get out." I let her go somewhat forcefully into the kitchen, Cream stumbling slightly before she brushed some dirt off of her dress. She stood, setting the basket on the counter.

"Fine. Have it your way then." She glared at me. "Y'know, we just want what's best for you. You used to be so sweet, and now you're just as cold as Eggman."

"Out. Now." She walked out with a small "Hmph!" with her nose in the air as she slammed the door behind her. I knew in my heart of hearts I should've been upset with myself with the way I'd handled the situation, but it wasn't like I really wanted to deal with anyone. Everything had hit me like that. I knew I needed to feel wrong, but I just didn't. I was a shell of my former self, I guess.

Normally I waited until the sun was totally down to head out to his memorial, but today I couldn't. I walked out of the house, locking the door behind me before truly heading off. The sun was just starting to set as the winter started to come closer, the last of the leaves just barely hanging onto their trees.

I paused a bit before heading into the cemetery: a few people were giving their respects, I assumed. I lingered behind some trees as the cold eventually summoned them back to their homes. Once they left, I entered and walked to the grave and statue, once again starting my silent vigil.

"You're still here..." I heard someone whisper. I went to reach for my pistol before turning around and seeing Sally, wearing a black dress and matching veil.

"Your highness," I muttered, nodding. She let out a small smile.

"You're also early."

"How-?"

"I can see you from the castle every time you're here." We stood in silence for a bit before I turned back to the memorial. She walked up to stand on my right and sighed. "I miss him too," she finally stated after a few minutes. I snorted.

"Princess, with all due respect, you and I have different feelings towards the situation."

"I don't doubt that, Miles," she said softly, setting a red rose with a blue ribbon next to the statue. Finally, someone called me by my birth name like I wanted. "But I know that you must miss him." I didn't respond. How could I? "Miles, Nicole analyzed the blood sample..."

I turned to her, waiting for her to continue. "And?" I asked flatly, raising an eyebrow. She looked down a bit, sighing.

"Nothing. We even did a complete autopsy to find out what it could have been. For all intents and purposes, Snivelly designed to make... it seems like..." She started shaking her head and tearing up, but I knew what she meant.

"To make it seem like he did it on his own accord," I finished. She nodded, dabbing her eyes on a small handkerchief.

"Nicole can't make heads or tails of it. Miles, if that's true..." She twisted the cloth in her hands, tears starting to fall. "I know you say you saw that happen, but if it didn't, please tell me now. I need to know what happened to him!" she pleaded quietly. I stood there silently for a bit and waited for her to calm down a bit.

"I've told you everything I saw. Whatever it was, they must have designed it to deteriorate enough over time. They wanted Sonic to fall from grace, then be locked away for everything he did. The once he was in his right mind..."

"He would've been locked away, and Eggman could take over with ease." I nodded.

"Look, Sally. I know that my lab is off-limits to me, but if I fight them, I'll need something to battle them with." I sighed. "I want him more than locked away; I want them dead. Gone."

"I can't do that. You know that. Maybe I could give you Nicole to help you out for a bit, but you're otherwise on your own on that." I stood there for awhile longer, letting her words sink in before staring at the statue. Someone had placed a framed photo of Sonic and myself at the foot, the two of us smiling. We stood in silence before she finally left, and I took my leave an hour later, this time flying a few feet over the ground with my feet just barely grazing the wall as I left. Well, if all it took was a fight on my own, I could do it.


	4. Preparations

And so my desperate attempt to right the wrongs that had been committed had begun. I wanted this plan to work. Sonic was gone, and I had to make up for the losses that had been brought to light by his death. Attacks from Eggman and Snivelly began to occur on a daily basis, and the Freedom Fighters were running themselves ragged, myself excluded. Day after day, it became an enormous struggle just to keep those monsters at bay. They were at Knothole's walls, willing to jump us at any moment.

I turned a blind eye to it. I would make it end soon, I kept telling myself. Nicole downloaded herself to my PDA from time to time, and seemed to help whenever she could. Unfortunately, she wasn't much of a help. I was reminded her main duties were to analyze data that was presented to her, hack into different systems, and download outside communications. Plotting two high profile murders wasn't in her programming. All I said to her was that when the time came, I'd let her execute one of her programs to do so.

The night before the attack, I hardly slept. Nothing could seem to keep me from going over the plan in my head a thousand times over. I didn't know what would happen, in all honesty, but for the first time since Sonic's death, I had hope: hope that this would be over, and then I could leave in peace on my own terms. It wasn't as though they'd go easily, but the thought that Eggman's reign of terror over all of Knothole - and the world at large - could finally be over. It was an exhilarating thought. I fell into an uneasy sleep, waking up more energetic and more lethargic than I had in my entire life.

The sun was due to rise in two hours. Time was precious if I were to commit the deeds before the rest of the world or the good doctor's forces were geared to fight for the day. I left a time delayed message for Cream and the others, telling them of my plan and what I was to do. I told them that it was no longer my place in the world and that I would spend the rest of my days in the different zones, isolated from all of my once good friends and family. I paused as I checked the equipment.

Cream...

I realized that out of all of my friends, she was the one who tried to most to still see the good in me, no matter how fruitless it was. Anyone could see she was only getting herself worked up so she wouldn't have to lose someone else. She had even defended me once in a chance encounter with Amy, where I nearly had my skull taken off. If things had been different, would I have pursued something with my rabbit friend? Would she have returned the feelings I had before I had committed the act of ultimate treason? I shook my head and continue packing. It just wasn't meant to be. Our lives took this course for a reason, and no matter what I may have wanted in the past, present or future, it wouldn't come to be.

I zipped up the backpack holding the tools I needed for the job. It was a simple enough plan: break into the base, kill the doctor and his nephew, command all Eggman Empire forces to self-destruct, and then maybe use Chaos Control to leave. Maybe I would return now and then to look on my friends' lives, and see what would be occurring. Maybe I could become like my uncle before me, a hermit studying the magic in the universe to understand and better the world. Or maybe... maybe I'd just let the blast consume me. For now, all my future had was the blast.

I left my house and activated the lockdown feature. No one would ever be able to get in unless they had my thumbprint, retinal scan and a detected pulse. If more than two attempts failed, the house and lab would fill themselves with concrete and go subterranean as a failsafe. I watched as titanium alloy shutters sprouted from the roof and cascaded down the walls. The process took a mere five seconds, and I watched to make sure there were no issues. Of course there weren't, but I wouldn't've wanted someone to be able to access all of the inventions I had tinkered with in my life. Granted, most of the more serious weapons and inventions were in my off-site lab that was locked up, but the tech in my home was precious as well.

I turned to leave, but stopped after two short steps. My tails twitched as I detected another being. I wasn't sure if it was hostile or not, but I had to deal with it quickly: the window of opportunity to deal with Eggman and Snivelly was closing as the minutes passed. "Come out. You should know I'm armed." I held my breath as I waited for a response.

Slowly, the creature walked out from behind a dying cedar in my front yard. "You won't prove anything by doing this, Tails." I huffed and turned to look at the newcomer.

"Miles, and there's nothing to prove," I spat bitterly. "I'm trying to end this once and for all. I would think that out of everyone, including Princess Sally, you would want the murderer of Sonic the Hedgehog gone, Amy." She stepped closer to me, wearing the more subtle attire she'd been seen in the time since Sonic's death. The ribbon in her quills was now a darker brown with an emerald (real or fake? No one could really tell) keeping it tied together on the right. The bright, flashy dress she wore was now replaced by a long brown dress with mild green accents to match her accessory, making her eyes seem as bright as they had been when Sonic was alive, yet artificially so.

"If you do this, you'll be no better than him. Killing them won't prove a damn-"

"Amy, for once, shut up. This isn't about proving anything to Sonic, or you, or the world. This is about ending this the way it should have ended years ago when Warlord Julian Kintobor revealed himself to the world as a coward hiding behind his inventions and a traitor. Imagine all the hurt that could have never taken place. Imagine that you still had your parents or that... that Sonic was still alive. We would have never had to go into hiding, and our lives would have never been touched by war and death."

"You don't know-" she argued, but I held up my hands.

"You're absolutely right, Amy. I don't know. I don't know if Eggman wouldn't've just broken out or somehow returned after his execution, but now it's time to make sure that we never lose another living being to that monster." I checked my watch. I had wasted precious minutes with this tedious conversation. "Tell Cream I'm sorry." I looked Amy in the eyes. Somehow that lie had come as easily as a child caught in some horrible act saying "I didn't do it." I wasn't sorry for how I'd changed or reacted to the death of my closest friend, but somehow I felt her hearing that would make everything better in her world. I began twirling my tails and leaving the ground, but Amy gripped my hand and tried to pull me back down.

"Tell her yourself! You are not doing this to us!" she bellowed as I continued to rise, taking her with me. I rose to about thirty feet in the air, heading towards the headquarters of Eggman's faux empire.

"I'm doing this, whether you want me to or not. Go." I said softly. After a minute she let go, landing gracefully as she watched me leave.

"You're no better than he is, Miles Prower!" she shrieked. "This'll only make things worse." Her caution fell on deaf ears. I had to focus on my plan. Time was of absolute importance.


End file.
